


my love for you is rotting me from the inside out

by toucanoe



Category: RWBY
Genre: Blood and Gore, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, One Shot, Sort Of, Soulmates, The Last of Us AU, You'll see what I mean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 10:58:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20563169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toucanoe/pseuds/toucanoe
Summary: Yang thinks this is how she’ll die, surrounded by clickers in the middle of an alley; seen it all play out too many times before to know she won’t survive this. She’s pretty much accepted the fact that she’s going to be eaten alive when she feels more than sees the head of the clicker in front of her explode in a spray of rotting flesh.Yang expects to meet her younger sister’s silver eyes or even her mother’s red looking down the barrel of the gun.What she doesn’t expect are eyes of burning amber that ignite her heart and melt her soul; eyes of a girl she's seen in her dreams.





	my love for you is rotting me from the inside out

**Author's Note:**

> A/N:
> 
> I've been meaning to get around to a Last of Us AU for a while now and it's finally here. Let me know what you think! :)
> 
> The title is from Addict by CAIRO.
> 
> Warning: Explicit content.

Yang thinks this is how she’ll die, surrounded by clickers in the middle of an alley; seen it all play out too many times before to know she won’t survive this. There’s no way she can take on five of these things at once and she’s well out of rounds. Not that it matters anyways; she’s good as dead without her shotgun. She’s pretty much accepted the fact that she’s going to be eaten alive when she feels more than sees the head of the clicker in front of her explode in a spray of rotting flesh. 

** **

Yang expects to meet her younger sister’s silver eyes or even her mother’s red looking down the barrel of the gun. 

** **

What she doesn’t expect are eyes of burning amber that ignite her heart and melt her soul; eyes of a girl she's seen in her dreams.

** **

*****

“Holy shit,” Yang breathes when it’s all finally over. 

Everything had happened so fast; the infected were already dead by the time the girl had fired her last shot. Yang’s never seen someone take down so many of them before and she wonders if maybe she’s had some sort of training. 

The girl is silent as she rips her knife from the chest of a dead clicker with a sickening squelch. She’s either completely unfazed by it or quietly hiding her disgust as she gathers the rest of her throwing knives from the corpses. Her ebony hair falls just below her chin, bangs resting above her brows. What really captivates Yang are her eyes; flickering with amber fire and dripping like warm honey. It’s only when she shifts her eyes downward, long dark lashes brushing the tops of her cheeks that Yang realizes she’s been openly staring at her.

The girl throws something at her and for a frightening second, Yang thinks it’s one of her knives. Instead of a sharp blade piercing her chest, she hears the crinkle of a wrapper hit her sternum and immediately recognizes the object as a ration bar. Her mouth drops open in surprise. 

The corner of the girl’s mouth lifts up in a small smile before she turns on her heel and leaves the way she came. 

“Wait!” 

Yang doesn’t know what makes her jog down the alley to catch up with her―maybe it’s curiosity―or maybe it’s the need to express her gratitude to someone who could’ve very well left her for dead. 

“Thanks for helping me back there.”

“You’re welcome.” Her voice sounds eerily familiar in a way Yang can’t quite put her finger on.

“I’m Yang.”

“Blake,” she replies, slinging her rifle over her shoulder. 

She’s armed to the teeth; multiple knives lining the bandolier across the front of her body and another gun strapped to the side of her leg. Yang knows most survivors don’t carry many weapons unless they’re paranoid or on the run. She never could mind her own business so she decides to pry a little bit. 

“So, where are you headed to?” she asks, falling into step beside Blake. 

Amber eyes narrow suspiciously at her. “Why do you want to know?”

“Well,” Yang drawls, “we’re not exactly close to any quarantine zone I know of. This place is crawling with infected and most people know better than to come here.” 

“I could say the same about you,” Blake fires back, folding her arms across her chest.

Yang snorts and shoves her hands in the pockets of her jacket. “Touché. I’m just saying, the people who do pass through here are usually runaways.”

Blake’s hand instantly drops down to the pistol holstered to her thigh and Yang raises her hands in surrender. “Listen, I promise I’m not a bounty hunter or anything like that. You look like you need somewhere to stay the night and I’m more than happy to help. You did save my life after all.” 

Her fingers curl tightly around the grip of the pistol and she eyes Yang warily. “How do I know you’re not just trying to trick me?” 

_ I’m definitely going to regret this, _ Yang thinks as she reaches down the front of her shirt and pulls her necklace over her head, holding it out in front of her. 

“Here.” Blake stares at Yang’s outstretched hand. “This means a lot to me so don’t lose it, okay?”

She hesitantly takes the necklace from Yang and studies it curiously, thumbing the golden rose pendant that dangles from the thin chain. _ She probably hasn’t seen anything like that since before the outbreak _ , Yang thinks. Gold and silver were hard to come by nowadays and considered extremely valuable. _ She knows I’d be stupid to give that to her if I didn’t trust her. _ Blake tucks it into her pocket carefully as if it’s the most delicate thing in the world, as if it’ll shatter into a million pieces. 

“I’ll keep it safe,” she promises, smiling softly. 

Yang’s heart leaps in her throat and she swallows hard. Something in her head tells her she knows the stranger standing in front of her, seen those same eyes flash in her dreams, heard that same voice repeating over and over again _ I’m not going to break my promise, I swear. _

The sound of clicking and screeching nearby snaps Yang out of her reverie and she nods once at Blake. 

“Follow me.”

*****

They make it to Yang’s hideout just before the sun sets. 

It’s an abandoned apartment complex she found not too long ago that’s relatively free of any infected. All of the anxiety and tension gradually leaves her with each step she takes up the fire escape. She waits until Blake climbs up the ladder before she pulls it safely off of the ground. Blake follows Yang into the apartment with a finger resting on the trigger of her rifle and a stiffness in her shoulders that Yang can’t quite place. It’s as if she expects someone to attack her at any given moment. 

“Here we are,” Yang says cheerfully as she opens the door to the apartment. It’s a small one bedroom one bathroom with a kitchen that’s somewhat dingy.

The door shuts behind her with a click as Yang drops her backpack onto the floor and falls on the couch. She closes her eyes and sighs, stretching her arms lazily over her head. She’s just starting to doze off when she hears a cough and remembers Blake. 

She abruptly sits upright and swears loudly when she bangs her foot against the coffee table. Blake covers her mouth with one hand to hide her smile. 

“Sorry,” Yang groans, rubbing her now throbbing toes, “I forgot you were here.”

Blake’s shoulders shake as she laughs. “No worries. Is there a place I can put my stuff?”

“There’s a closet down the hallway to the left.”

Blake comes back stripped of any weapons. She looks smaller without them, her shoulders drawn forward as if she’s protecting herself from something. She’s all lean and wiry, her muscles drawn taut like stiff cords. For the first time, Yang sees bruises shaped like fingerprints on her neck. Blake must notice her staring because her face hardens into an unreadable mask. 

She clears her throat. “I was attacked by bandits a couple days ago.”

It’s an obvious lie. Yang knows if the bandits Blake came across are anything like her mother’s, they spend most of their time raiding settlements or facilities, not attacking lone survivors. She stares and stares at her.

“Okay,” Yang breaks the tense silence. “The water still works if you want to take a shower or anything. There’s soap and towels in the bathroom.” 

Blake’s shoulders visibly sag in what looks like relief. “Thank you.” 

“No problem. Let me know when you’re done so I can get you some clean clothes.” 

Blake smiles shakily and goes inside the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind her. Yang slumps back onto the couch and lets out a long breath, throwing one arm over her eyes. 

She honestly doesn’t know why she trusts this girl so much. Maybe she’s blinded by the fact that Blake saved her life. Maybe it’s because she’s the most alluring person she’s ever set her eyes on. Yang thinks she’s stupid for letting a complete stranger who could murder her in her sleep stay the night. Her eyelids get heavier and heavier before she feels herself drift into a deep sleep.

_ She dreams of a masked man with red hair chasing Blake through a dense forest. Yang tries to speak but her voice is stuck in her throat. She’s firmly rooted to the spot and can only watch helplessly as the man fires multiple rounds from his pistol. One of the shots find its mark and Blake falls to the ground. Yang wants to scream, cry, do anything, but she can’t move. _

_ Blake crawls backwards, one leg bleeding freely from the gunshot wound and dragging uselessly against the ground. She looks absolutely terrified the moment her back hits the rough bark of a tree and she realizes she’s trapped. The man looms over her, his shadow falling across her face. He raises his gun to her head and pulls the trigger― _

“Yang.” 

She bolts upright, breathing heavily. Golden eyes meet her own and a wave of relief rushes through her. 

“Are you okay?” Blake asks.

Yang sighs. “Yeah, just a bad dream.” 

Blake takes a step back and her heart stops in her chest. She’s in nothing but a towel, her hair still wet from the shower. 

“You said you had clean clothes?” Blake asks. 

“Yes. I do.” Yang curses herself for how awkward she sounds. “I’ll go get them.” 

Once she comes back with the clothes, she hands them to Blake and looks at anywhere but her.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Yang says. Her eyes zero in on a faint patch of red seeping through the towel at her hip. “Woah, are you hurt?” 

Blake pales and wobbles on unsteady legs. “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.” 

“It looks like more than a scratch to me.”

“I’m fine,” Blake repeats through clenched teeth. 

Yang frowns and takes a step forward. “I can help―

“I said I’m fine!” Blake snaps.

There’s a pause; neither of them move or say a word. All the signs are there and Yang doesn’t want to, won’t believe them. Still, she needs to be sure. 

“Are you infected?” Yang asks her, voice entirely calm.

Blake’s eyes widen and she blurts out, “No!” She takes a deep breath and repeats in a lower voice, “No. It’s...something else.” 

Yang frowns. “What do you mean by ‘something else?’”

Blake bites her lip and says nothing, eyes stubbornly fixated on the floor. 

“Let me see it,” Yang says softly. 

Her eyes dart up to her own and Yang sees all of the pain she’s trying to hide, all of the fear she desperately tries to camouflage underneath the mask she puts on. Blake swallows hard and unwraps the towel with trembling fingers. 

Yang hisses in sympathy at what she sees. The cut is deep and jagged, edges red and puckered. Blood trickles slowly out of the wound and runs along the edge of her hip to drip onto the hardwood floor. Yang’s seen enough injuries to know that someone’s stabbed her. _ No bandit did this, _ Yang thinks.

“I’m going to get something to patch that up for you,” Yang says, already moving towards the kitchen. 

By the time she comes back, Blake’s fully dressed and sitting on the couch. Her blood-stained towel lays discarded next to her. Yang puts the first-aid kit on the table and kneels in front of her. She motions for Blake to pull up the hem of her shirt and she does so with some reluctance. 

Yang grabs the towel and presses it against the wound to staunch the bleeding. “Those bandits sure did a number on you.” Blake tenses, amber eyes hardening. 

“He wasn’t a bandit,” she murmurs. 

Yang’s hand stills from where it’s wiping away the last remnants of blood. She looks up at Blake and meets her eyes. Blake takes her silence as a sign to continue.

“His name was Adam,” Blake says, eyes dark and distant. 

She tells Yang about Adam and her life in the White Fang. Together, they had fought to restore all the branches of government to end military rule. However, their morale began to change over time and her ex-lover not long after. The White Fang no longer looked for a vaccine for the cordyceps brain infection and began to adopt a “survival of the fittest” philosophy. She couldn’t take the abuse she saw, the abuse she was taking, so she hatched up a plan to escape in the dead of night.

Blake had taken as many weapons as she could and was halfway from the camp when Adam attacked her. He had pinned her to the ground and stabbed her with his hunting knife. She had seen him kill so many innocent people with it and now found herself one of his victims. Blake knew that he planned to punish her betrayal with her life. She had fought against him tooth and nail as he struggled to bring the knife down towards her abdomen. 

Miraculously, a group of runners appeared before he could deal the final blow. She ran until she couldn’t feel her legs anymore, barely managing to escape. 

“And now here I am,” Blake finishes.

Her shoulders shake as she cries silently, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Yang wordlessly hands her the bloody towel. 

Blake laughs but takes the towel anyway, rubbing her face with the part of it that’s clean. 

“Thanks.”

Yang smiles and gestures to the wound. “Don’t thank me yet. I still have to stitch that up.”

“Right.” Blake lets out a long breath of air and runs a shaking hand through her damp hair. “Let’s get this over with.” 

“Let me know when it gets to be too much for you,” Yang says, eyeing her cautiously as she cleans the wound. 

Blake squeezes her eyes shut when she sees Yang pulling the needle out of the suturing kit. Yang inches closer and huffs in irritation when Blake starts bouncing her leg up and down. She grabs her by the knee to still her and Blake’s eyes shoot open in surprise. 

“Don’t move,” Yang says firmly.

Once she’s sure Blake won’t move again, she gets back to stitching the wound; which proves to be a tricky task since it’s so jagged and uneven. The fact that Blake won’t stop staring at her doesn’t make it any easier. 

When she’s done clipping the tail of the last stitch, she puts away the needle and covers up the wound with gauze. 

“All done,” Yang says, wiping her hands on the front of her pants. She grins. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” 

Blake flushes to the tips of her ears. 

“Not really,” she mumbles, rubbing one ear absentmindedly. 

Yang rolls her eyes playfully and moves towards the kitchen.

“You want anything to eat?” she calls out over her shoulder. 

“What do you have?” Blake asks.

Yang laughs. “If my stomach was growling as loudly as yours, I wouldn’t be so picky.” 

“What―that’s―I am not picky!” Blake sputters. 

“Suuure,” Yang says as she pulls out a can from the cupboard. She reads the label and wrinkles her nose. “There’s sardines.” 

Blake immediately perks up from where’s she sitting on the couch. “I’ll take them.” 

“You like these?” Yang asks, throwing the can towards her. 

She catches it and frowns. “What’s so bad about sardines?” 

“They’re absolutely disgusting.” 

“They’re delicious,” Blake argues and Yang makes a gagging noise. “Why do you even have them then?” 

“I just took them, okay? I didn’t have time to see what they were.”

Blake tuts and peels the lid of the can open. “And you said you’re not picky.”

“I never said I wasn’t picky,” Yang insists as she rummages through the rest of the food. “I just don’t prefer food that smells like dead fish.” 

“Yang, this is dead fish,” she deadpans. 

She laughs at the look on Yang’s face, something light and melodious that echoes across the room. 

Yang can’t stop the smile that creeps onto her face. “You know what I mean.” 

She finally settles on a can of baked beans and joins Blake on the couch. Every so often, she sneaks a look at Blake out of the corner of her eye. Her hair’s no longer wet, dark bangs falling into her eyes. Yang pretends to be disturbed by the smell of the sardines, pinching her nose. Blake shoves at her shoulder and Yang laughs.

“You’re gonna stink from that,” she comments as she spoons the beans into her mouth. 

Blake grins slyly at her and nudges her with her foot. 

“Don’t lie. You like it,” she says, her voice low and velvety.

Yang nearly chokes on the food she’s eating and coughs erratically to clear her throat. 

“Are you alright?” Blake asks, her can of sardines now laying forgotten on the table. Her amber eyes are wide with concern as she rubs Yang’s back. 

_ Where the hell did that come from? _ Yang thinks. Yang manages to catch her breath and waves Blake away. 

“I’m okay,” she finally says, voice hoarse. 

Blake hands her the canteen that sits on the table. She rasps a quick “thank you” before she takes a sip to relieve her scratchy throat. Yang clears her throat and leans back against the couch. She looks over to see Blake’s mouth open wide in a huge yawn. 

“You ready for bed?” 

Blake rubs her eyes and nods. Yang stands up and stretches her arms over her head.

“Come on, I’ll show you where you’re sleeping,” she says. 

Blake follows her silently as they enter the bedroom. It’s just the same as the rest of the apartment, save for the bed tucked against the wall. Yang’s clothes (or what she has left of them) are folded neatly on the floor by the bed. 

“The bed’s all yours. I’ll be on the couch if you need anything,” Yang says, moving towards the door. 

“Oh! Hold on.” Yang stops, her hand on the knob of the door. 

Blake reaches into the pocket of her jeans and pulls out Yang’s necklace. “I figured you’d want this back.” 

“Thanks,” Yang says, taking the necklace from Blake. 

She pulls it on over her head and tucks it back inside her shirt, the pendant a familiar and comfortable weight against her breastbone. It’s still warm from where Blake had it tucked inside her pocket. Blake slides underneath the covers of the bed and rests her head on the pillow, eyelids fluttering shut. Yang smiles at the way Blake looks; peaceful and with nothing to run from or worry about. 

She pauses in the doorway before she leaves. “Good night.”

“Night,” Blake mumbles sleepily. 

Yang slowly closes the door shut and makes her way to the living room. Out of habit, she double checks that all the windows and doors are locked. Yang lays on the couch and lets her eyes droop shut.

That night she dreams of golden eyes and hair as dark as the midnight sky. A voice echoes _ I’m sorry. I’m so sorry _.

*****

Yang wakes to the feeling of someone hovering over her. Instinct draws her to pull out the knife that’s hidden between the couch cushions. She can barely see the outline of the person in front of her in the dark as she shoves them to the ground. They must have been holding a gun because she hears the sound of it hitting the ground as soon as she pins them underneath her. She has the blade of her knife pressed against their throat when she hears a familiar voice say, “Wait, wait!” 

Yang squints. “Blake?” 

“It’s me. Can you please get off?” 

“Shit. Sorry.” Yang rolls off of her and fumbles around for her flashlight. Her heart’s racing a mile a minute and the adrenaline rush is making her head spin. She finds it and flicks it on, pointing the light towards Blake. Her blood freezes to ice in her veins when she sees Blake pointing her gun at her. 

“Blake, what are you doing?” Yang says slowly, a sense of dread overwhelming her. She should have known better than to trust a pretty face. 

“I found this,” Blake holds her picture of her younger sister, Ruby, out in front of her, “in your room. How do you know her?”

Yang frowns. “She’s my sister.”

“Bullshit,” Blake snaps. “Tell me who you really are. Did Adam send you?”

“Blake, I swear I’m telling the truth. I didn’t even know who Adam was until you told me! Please put the gun down.” Yang begs. 

Blake hesitates for a moment before she slowly lowers her pistol. Yang’s shoulders sag as she lets out a sigh of relief. That was way too close.

“Is she really your sister?” Blake asks, not dropping her defensive stance. Every muscle in her body is drawn taut. 

Yang nods. “She’s my half-sister. We have different mothers but the same father.”

Blake doesn’t take her eyes off of the picture, tracing her finger along the edge. The hard lines of her body smooth out as her muscles relax one by one. She lets out a shuddering breath. Yang leans her weight from one foot to another and swallows hard. 

“How do you know Ruby?” Yang asks. 

Blake fruitlessly tries to straighten the picture’s bent corner. “She was a person of interest when the White Fang was still looking for a cure. We had heard she’d been bitten, but didn’t turn. When Adam took over, he wanted her dead for reasons he never explained. Before I left, he had tracked her down to a place called Silver Lake.”

Yang’s first thought is _ Oh god they’ve found her. They’re going to kill her. _ The next is _ I have to get to her before he does. _

“Is he still after her?” Yang demands, already throwing her things into her backpack. 

Amber eyes flit from the picture over to her own. “I―I don’t know.”

Red blurs Yang’s vision and she grits her teeth so hard she swears she’s about to crack a tooth. She’s going to kill him if she finds out he’s even laid a finger on Ruby. Her left hand starts to shake uncontrollably and she breathes in, breathes out. A warm hand slides into her own, stilling it, and her breath catches in her throat. 

Blake is all confidence and poise when she calls her name, bringing her back into reality. She can’t look away from the twin pools dripping with gold. Blake unknowingly takes a step forward, as if she’s just as drawn in by Yang as she is to her. It feels like there’s a tight string that’s pulling them closer and closer together. Recognition flashes in yellow eyes and disappears as soon as Blake blinks. _ I know, _ Yang thinks, _ I know you feel it too. _

“I’m sorry,” Blake says and Yang inhales sharply.

_ I’m so sorry. _

Yang lets the knife she’s holding clatter to the floor. She doesn’t even realize she’s crying until she feels hot tears gather underneath her chin and slide down her throat. 

“You’ve said that to me before,” Yang says, her voice trembling. 

Blake’s eyes widen and Yang thinks this is it, she thinks she’s crazy, when Blake finally says, “How did you know that?”

Yang’s heart leaps into her throat. “I had dreams about you that are like memories.” 

“I’ve had them too,” Blake whispers, lashes wet with tears. 

Yang laughs and rubs her face. “I thought it was just me.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Blake shakes her head and smiles. “I heard your voice in my dreams. You felt so familiar to me, but I knew I’d never met you before,” she pauses, eyes a fiery orange, “I would have remembered someone who burns my soul like you do.” 

Yang stares and stares at her. Sunset eyes gaze back into her own and drift down to her lips for a fleeting moment. The next thing she knows, she’s being pushed down onto the couch and a pair of soft lips covers her own. It’s gentle and warm; familiar yet new all at once. This is fuel to a fire, something that can’t be put out. She can’t get enough. A lithe hand threads through Yang’s hair and tugs her head back to kiss along the column of her throat. She whimpers when she feels Blake sink her teeth into the area where her neck meets her shoulder. The pain flares white hot and her hips jump up in response. Blake’s tongue runs over the fresh wound, soothing it in a way that makes Yang shiver. 

“W―Wait, Blake,” Yang starts. 

Blake kisses her hard, cutting off whatever she’s about to say. Her tongue slides hot and wet against her own, slow and sinful. Yang thinks that Blake’s entirely too good at this, too good at melting her into a useless puddle. _ Snap out of it. _ Yang moans when Blake grinds her thigh right against her core. _ You need to find Ruby, remember? _She breathes in hard and pushes Blake off of her. 

“I’m sorry. I want you, I really do,” Yang sighs, “I just need to make sure my sister’s safe.” 

Blake brushes her bangs out of her eyes. “I understand. I can help you find her, if you want.”

Yang smiles. 

“I’d like that.”

*****

It takes them less than a day to make it to Silver Lake. 

Yang’s initial plan was to plow all the fuckers down in one go, but Blake was quick to reject that idea. 

“Come on, Blake. It would be way too easy!” Yang whines.

“You don’t know how many of them are in there. We don’t have that much ammo, either.”

Yang huffs in exasperation. “We need to get to Ruby before Adam does.”

“What we need to do is to take them out quietly. If he finds out we’re here, we’re finished,” Blake says. 

“Fine,” Yang sighs. “Lead the way.” 

Blake moves quietly to the window of the building across from them and slowly peers inside. Once she gives the signal to Yang, she vaults over the edge and sneaks in. Yang follows her closely, her pocket knife clenched tightly in one hand. She sees two figures chatting away in the room in front of them, relaxed and at ease. 

The grunt with a scar running from the edge of his ear to the bottom of his chin yawns. “How long is Adam gonna take? I’m tired.” 

“He said we weren’t leaving until he found that girl. She could be anywhere,” the other one replies, voice thick with a southern accent.

Yang watches as Blake slowly draws one of her throwing knives from its sheath. Scarface and Huckleberry are completely oblivious to the two women watching them. 

Scarface folds his arms across his chest. “I can’t wait to go back to―

His words are cut off when the throwing knife finds its way deep into the side of his neck. A wet gurgling noise works its way out of his mouth as he desperately tries to grasp the handle of the knife. His hands slip and slide against the blood coating his throat and the front of his shirt. The other White Fang member is frozen in shock, eyes wide.

Yang decides now is the perfect moment to make her presence known. She moves towards him, blade glinting in the light. Huckleberry pales and fumbles for his gun. He doesn’t stand a chance. Yang slits his throat before he can even raise it towards her. He lies dead on the floor next to his friend who’s still writhing around choking on his own blood. Blake pulls her knife from his neck, a large pool of red collecting around him. He gasps feebly one last time before he stills and moves no more. 

They move the bodies out of sight and continue further. Besides two other White Fang members they take out, Adam is the only one left to deal with. He hadn’t brought a lot of reinforcements but they both know he’s deadly enough on his own. As they near an abandoned restaurant, Yang feels most of her hope slip away. She knows there’s a fat chance that Adam’s already gotten to Ruby before them and an even bigger chance that he’s killed her. Blake must see the worry etched on her face because she grabs her hand. 

“Hey,” Blake says and Yang feels her entire world focus on her and only her. “We’re okay. We will find her.” 

Yang lets out a shaky breath and squeezes Blake’s hand. “Thank you.”

Blake smiles and lets go of her hand. 

“Let’s do this,” Yang says.

She nods toward the door and they stand on either side of it. Yang silently counts to three in her head and kicks the door down, her shotgun raised. Blake’s almost pressed against her back, her rifle sweeping the area around them. Broken plates crunch beneath their feet as they move through the aisles of the restaurant. Something seems off and Yang’s grip on her gun tightens. She hears the telltale sign of a pistol’s hammer pulling back and shoves Blake behind a counter right before a bullet whizzes past her ear. 

“I see you brought your friend, Blake. Why don’t you two come on out and we can talk this out?” 

Yang knows the man talking is Adam, knows what he’s capable of.

She hears the grin in his voice when he says, “I’ve waited so long to see you again, Blake.” 

She sees him walking casually through the aisle from her hiding spot behind one of the booths. His right eye is an icy blue, cold and distant. The left is a milky white from the large pink brand on the left side of his face. He steps closer to the counter Blake’s hiding behind and Yang doesn’t think twice before she fires her shotgun. Her first shot clips his arm and her second shot hits him directly in the shoulder. Adam shouts in pain and blindly shoots his pistol in her direction. Yang ducks, one bullet narrowly missing her head. She takes in a harsh breath and tries to quiet her racing heart. Her blood’s rushing through her ears and she can hardly stop her head from spinning. 

“You bitch!” Adam spits.

Yang peeks around the table and sees him clutching his bleeding shoulder. _ How do you like it now you bastard, _she thinks.

“I’ve been spending some time wondering why either of you would come here.” Adam kicks a barstool over. “Then, I realized: Ruby must be someone very important to you. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to keep her safe.” 

Yang feels red bleed into the lavender of her eyes. She moves from her cover and raises her shotgun, aiming for Adam’s face. She’s definitely misjudged how close he was as he rushes at her and knocks the gun from her grip, kicking it out of the way. She screams and lunges at him with her knife, wildly slashing the air around him. Adam shoves her away from him, pointing his pistol at her, and she thinks she’s stupid for letting her temper get the better of her, thinks she’ll never see Ruby again. She hears the shot and squeezes her eyes shut, bracing for the bullet to tear right through her skull.

Confusion seeps in when she doesn’t feel any pain, doesn’t think she’s dead. Yang opens her eyes and sees Adam, blood trickling from the bullet hole in his forehead down his face and over the bridge of his nose. His eyes are blank and lifeless as he drops dead to the ground. Blake lowers her rifle and sobs, tears streaming down her face. Yang immediately rushes to her and wraps her arms around her. She says nothing as Blake cries and grieves for the man she once loved. 

“I won’t leave you behind. I promise,” Blake says, clutching onto Yang’s shirt. Yang thinks it’s because she needs the reminder that she’s real, that she’s here with her. 

Yang pulls back so she can look into the amber she will always love and presses her forehead against Blake’s. “I know you won’t.” 

They stay like that for a long moment, neither of them moving. Yang’s knees start to ache after a while from where they’re digging into the floor. Still, she won’t move until she’s sure Blake is okay. 

“Blake?” 

Blake tightens her grip on Yang and lets out a shaky breath. “I’ll be fine.” She casts a fleeting glance towards Adam’s body. “Let’s find your sister.” 

Yang helps Blake stand and they move to the back of the restaurant. The cooler is stocked with some boxes and a few cans of food. A fresh deer carcass is the first clue that someone’s been here. Another is the backpack lying strewn across the floor. Yang can’t be sure it’s Ruby’s but she decides to check it anyway. She’s rifling through the backpack when she hears the door creak open behind them. 

“Yang?” a voice calls. 

Ruby’s standing at the door, hunting rifle in her hands. Her hair’s grown down to her shoulders and Yang thinks she’s gotten taller. Her silver eyes shine with tears and she runs to Yang, embracing her. 

“I’m so sorry, Yang,” she cries into her shoulder, “I shouldn’t have left you behind but they were after me and I―”

“It’s okay,” Yang silences her, then adds, “I love you.” 

Ruby sniffs. "I love you too.”

Blake watches them with a smile on her face. Ruby peers over Yang’s shoulder and eyes her curiously. 

“Who’s this?” 

Yang steps away from Ruby. “This is Blake. She helped me find you.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Blake says politely. 

Ruby still seems wary of her. “How did you know where to find me?”

“I used to be part of the White Fang,” Blake hesitates, “and I knew where they had tracked you to.” 

Ruby stiffens at the name of the militia group. 

“I trust her, Ruby,” Yang affirms. 

Silver eyes flit between the two of them and understanding crosses Ruby’s face. 

“Okay,” Ruby smiles and relaxes. “I believe you.” 

“So, I was thinking we should head back to Dad’s,” Yang pauses to catalogue Ruby’s reaction, “He’s probably worried sick about us.” 

Ruby rolls up her sleeve and absentmindedly runs her fingers over the scarred grooves of the bite mark that should have turned her. “I don’t want to put him in any danger. The White Fang’s after me and they’ll do whatever it takes to get to me. I don’t want them to hurt anyone I love ever again.” Her voice sharpens at the end, and her eyes peer into Yang’s own like twin blades. _ She means Summer, _Yang thinks and her own heart hurts with the thought of her. 

“I know,” Yang says softly, “but they won’t have a reason to go after you this time. We killed their leader.” 

Ruby’s eyes snap up to her own. “You don’t know that. They’ll regroup and try again.”

“I know,” Blake interjects, “that they don’t have many members left. They’re strung thin as it is and with Adam dead, they’ll likely disband.” 

Ruby gnaws her lip and appears to be in deep consideration. 

“Please, Ruby,” Yang begs. 

Yang sees the moment she gives in, her shoulders sagging. 

“Okay.”

Yang throws her arms around Ruby and squeezes her tight. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too.” 

*****

Taiyang is ecstatic to see them, to say the least. He can’t seem to erase the grin on his face and he walks with a bounce in his step. He welcomes Blake into their home with open arms as if she’s part of the family. Yang tells the story of how they met during dinner and Blake’s face is a bright shade of red the entire time. They all stay up late to catch up and before Yang knows it, it’s time to go to bed. 

“Alright, kiddo, for bed,” Tai says when Ruby yawns loudly. 

“Fine,” she grumbles. 

Everyone stands up and moves to clear the dishes, but Tai refuses their help.

“I think you’ve earned some rest. This is the least I can do ,” he insists. 

They bid him goodnight and head to their rooms. Just as Yang’s about to go into her room, Ruby grabs her by the wrist and drags her back into the hallway.

“You go on ahead, Blake. I, uh, have to tell Yang something. It’s important,” Ruby says, flashing her an innocent smile.

Blake eyes them suspiciously as Ruby pulls Yang further down the hall . “Okay.” 

As soon as they’re out of earshot, Ruby whips around. 

“You guys are a thing, aren’t you?” 

Yang slaps a hand over Ruby’s loud mouth and scans the hallway to make sure Blake’s not there. 

“Be quiet!” she hisses and finally removes her hand. 

Ruby grins knowingly at her. “I knew it!” 

Yang thinks her sister’s entirely too observant for her own good. _ Or is it that obvious? _

“We’re not―,” Yang starts and stops. She honestly can’t bring herself to deny it.

She sighs. “Don’t tell Dad yet, okay? He’s going to have an aneurysm if he finds out this soon.”

Ruby snorts. “I think he already knows.”

“Are you serious?” Yang groans. _ It’s definitely obvious _, she thinks. 

“I wouldn’t worry about it. You can tell he already likes her,” Ruby says and shoves Yang down the hallway. “Go get your girl.”

Ruby yelps as she dodges Yang’s attempts to grab her and dashes into her room. She always was faster than her. Yang opens the door to her bedroom and finds Blake fast asleep on her bed. After days of sleeping on the ground, she wants to sleep in her own bed so she decides to slide underneath the covers beside Blake. It’s big enough for the both of them anyways. As soon as she closes her eyes, she falls into a deep sleep.

She wakes to the feeling of pins and needles in her arm and discovers that it’s trapped underneath of Blake. Somehow during their sleep, she ended up with her back pressed against Yang’s front and Yang’s other arm wrapped around her waist. Yang takes in a deep breath and manages to pull her arm out from underneath her. She slowly tries to slide her other arm free but Blake doesn’t seem to want to let go of it, tugging it back towards her. Yang realizes with horror that the new position has her fingers grazing the curve of her breast. The more she tries to pull away, the further Blake presses into her. _ Oh god I’m literally touching her boob right now. _

She can’t stop herself from giving a testing squeeze. Blake still appears to be asleep so she continues, her pulse pounding in her ears. She finds her mind drifting back to the night at the apartment. She wonders what would have happened if she had let Blake do what she wanted, if they had gone further. The thought brings a low heat to her stomach and her need is nearly overwhelming. Her finger flicks against the peak of Blake’s breast when she hears an audible hitch in Blake’s breathing. She finally notices the tense body pressed against her and the racing heartbeat that’s not her own. _ Shit. _Yang needs to stop this, needs to gain back some control over herself, so she lets go of Blake and pulls away. 

A warm hand grabs her by the hip, stilling her. Blake twists her head around so she can look at Yang. Her amber eyes glow in the dark like two warm candles. Yang thinks that she could stare into them forever. 

“Please don’t stop,” Blake whispers. 

A hunger to take, to give rises to the fore and Yang kisses her hotly, her tongue sliding into her mouth. Her hand finds its way underneath Blake’s shirt and she drags her nails against toned midriff. Blake grabs her by the wrist, her breath fanning against her lips, and drags her hand down, down to the waistband of her pants. Her fingers move past it and underneath her panties until they meet wet heat. She’s soaked. 

Blake whimpers when her fingers slip and slide against her, never moving exactly where she needs it, and Yang silences her with another kiss. Her hips push back into her own and Yang uses her other hand to hold her still as she grinds her hips against Blake’s ass to find some relief. She’s so caught up in her own pleasure she nearly forgets Blake’s own need until she hears her whine of frustration. 

“Yang,” she breathes.

Yang moves her fingers up to the seat of her sex and presses her fingers exactly where Blake needs them, rubbing in slow circles. 

“_ Fuck _. Right there. Faster,” Blake says, moving in time with Yang’s fingers, “Fuck, fuck, oh fuck―”

Yang watches her as she comes and thinks she’s beautiful, can’t stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. Blake moans at that and her hips give another feeble twitch. They lay there as she rides out the aftershocks. After a while, Yang squirms, rubbing her thighs together in an attempt to suppress the need pooling between her legs. Blake seems to notice because she rolls over and kisses her, her mouth hot and warm against her own. She nips at her bottom lip and immediately soothes it with her tongue. Blake pulls away from her and sits on her heels, golden eyes dark and hooded. 

“Get on your knees.” 

A shudder runs through Yang at the words and she obeys without question. She can feel Blake moving behind her and forces herself not to fidget. Blake yanks her pants and underwear down her legs. Once they’re off, Yang hears rustling and then Blake’s breasts are pressed tantalizingly against her back. Blake presses wet open-mouthed kisses down the column of her spine, running her nails down her back in white hot lines. She moves away from Yang and she wants to sob, wants her so badly she can’t think of anything else. 

Blake’s hand comes down on Yang’s ass, stinging in a way that goes right between her legs. She cries out and fists her hands into the sheets. She raises her hips in the air as a silent plea for more. Blake brings her hand down again and Yang’s sure she’s dripping onto the bed. Blake soothes the burning flesh and drags a lithe hand down to her heat, gathering the wetness between her fingers. She uses one hand to draw lazy circles over Yang’s clit and the other to press into her entrance. Yang’s more than wet enough that the first finger slides easily in, and is soon joined by a second. Yang thought she’d never be the type to beg but she quickly found out how wrong she was. 

“Blake,” she presses back into her and clenches around the fingers inside of her, “Please fuck me.” 

Blake stills from behind her and Yang thinks for a moment she’s going to stop and leave her like this. Then, Blake starts fucking her in earnest, using her hips as leverage and curling her fingers so that they hit her front wall with every thrust. Yang can’t stop the sounds coming out of her mouth and she turns her head to bite into the pillow. She’s throbbing all the way down to her clit, clenching around Blake’s fingers. She tries to hold off her impending orgasm, but finds it nearly impossible with the way Blake’s fucking her. 

“_Shit _,” Yang whimpers, “I’m gonna come.” 

Blake leans over so that she’s pressed against Yang’s back and her fingers hit a spot so deep within her that she nearly screams. “Come for me, Yang.”

Her next thrust hits that same spot and Yang lets out a breathy scream, her eyes rolling back in her head from how good it felt. Her orgasm stretches out for what seems like forever, and when she comes to, Blake’s laying next to her and watching her with a softness in her eyes.

“Hi,” Yang says, brushing the flyaways out of her face. 

Blake turns shy, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “Hi.” 

A rush of emotion Yang can’t explain rushes over her and she needs to tell Blake how she feels, what she means. 

“Our souls already know each other, don’t they?” she whispers.

Blake places a hand on her cheek and gazes into her eyes, her soul. “They’re forever tangled,” she pauses before she admits, “I feel like I’ve loved you for many lifetimes.” 

“I know,” Yang kisses the hand that’s on her cheek, “I feel it too.”

Blake smiles and rests her forehead against Yang’s. “I know you do.”


End file.
